Aquatic district board gets one new member

Based on unofficial election returns, Jeff Miller, a firefighter with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, has won a two-way race for an open seat on the Tigard-Tualatin Aquatic District Board of Directors.

With 57 percent of the vote, Miller beat of Timothy Esau, of Tigard.

Incumbents Kathy Stallkamp and Debbie Arizala both ran unopposed for seats on the board.

Three seats were open on the recently formed district's board after founding member Jan Larsen decided not to seek re-election.

Miller has worked as a swim official for Tigard-Tualatin swim clubs, refereed for high school swim teams and went door-to-door to promote saving the pools in 2010.

He also ran for the office to keep the pools on a steady footing after the district took over the pools at Tigard and Tualatin high schools in 2010, following a year-long public initiative to keep the pools open.

That year, the Tigard-Tualatin School District announced it would need to close the pools due to budget cuts.

Instead, voters rallied around the pools, forming the aquatic district and taxing themselves up to 9 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation to keep the pools open.